The Time Machine

Have you ever wondered what the
future has in store? Flying cars, artificial intelligence, cloning, a cure for
uncurbable diseases, the list goes on. Most people imagine the future full of
advanced technology that can make the lives of humanity easier and more
convenient. However, one author, in particular, had a different idea of what
the future entails. H.G Wells, who is known as the “Father of Science
Fiction,” published his novel The Time Machine in 1895.

At University of Toronto Mississauga, the course ENG333
Modern Fiction includes The Time Machine in its syllabus. The novel focuses on
the character the Time Traveller, who uses his time machine to travel through
time. His machine stays put in the same spot, however, he is able to travel
through the fourth-dimension.

The novel begins at a dinner party and the guests are
waiting for the arrival of their host, who is later referred to as the Time
Traveller. At dinner, the Time Traveller tells his adventure of travelling into
the future.

The Time Traveller travels into the year 802,701. There,
he meets a human-like species, called the Eloi. The Eloi are short, childlike
creatures who live in small communities. The Time Traveller is unable to
verbally communicate with the Eloi; however, he observes their lifestyle. He
hypothesizes that civilization has evolved to the extent of simplification,
where life is perfect and working is unnecessary, considering the Eloi live
carefreely.

As the Time Traveller wanders around the land and returns
to his time machine, he notices that it has been stolen. He then meets the
antagonists of the novel, the Morlocks, another species in this future time
period, who live in darkness underground. He then realizes the Morlocks stole
his machine. The Time Traveller reworks his hypothesis that human civilization
has separated into two species. He believes the Eloi exploit the Morlocks
through capitalism, since the Morlocks live underground.

Although the Time Traveller believes his second hypothesis
is the truth, he then observes the Eloi are frightened of the dark and
Morlocks. Since the Morlocks don’t appear in the daylight, the Time Traveller
ultimately comes to his conclusion that, in the future, capitalism continues
and species separate into a high and low class. The higher class, Eloi, become
so weak that the lower class, Morlocks, were able to overpower them, which
explains the Elois fear of being outside in the dark.

As the Time Traveller ventures to obtain his stolen time
machine, he faces obstacles which make his mission difficult. He continues to
learn more about the future and hypothesizes how humanity evolved into the Eloi
and Morlocks. The Time Traveller’s journey back home is not as easy as his
passage of leaving home.

If you’re interested in an adventurous and futuristic
novel, accompany the Time Traveller on his journey into the future with a copy
of The
Time Machine.